Petunia plant named &#39;bbtun91601m2&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘BBTUN91601M2’, characterized by its upright to outwardly spreading and mounding to eventually trailing plant habit; vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate; freely branching habit; dense and bushy plant form; early and freely flowering habit; dark red purple and white bi-colored flowers; and excellent garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia X hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BBTUN91601M2’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION AND STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR/APPLICANT

This application claims priority to a Canadian Plant Breeders' Rights application filed on May 17, 2019, application number 19-9877. There have been no offers for sale anywhere in the world prior to the effective filing date of this Application and no accessibility to one of ordinary skill in the art could have been derived from the printed Plant Breeder's Rights documents.

The Inventor/Applicant asserts that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor. Applicant claims a prior art exemption under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant, botanically known as Petunia X hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘BBTUN91601M2’.

The new Petunia plant is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of Petunia X hybrida ‘USTUN91601’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,663. The new Petunia plant was discovered by the Inventor on a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of ‘BBTUN91601’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Carleton, Mich. on Aug. 15, 2017.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia plant by vegetative terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Carleton, Mich. since Aug. 15, 2017 has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Petunia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘BBTUN91601M2’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘BBTUN91601M2’ as a new and distinct Petunia plant:

-   -   1. Upright to outwardly spreading and mounding to eventually         trailing plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate.     -   3. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy plant form.     -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Dark red purple and white bi-colored flowers.     -   6. Excellent garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the mutation parent, ‘USTUN91601’. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of ‘USTUN91601’ in plant and growth habit as plants of the new Petunia are more freely branching, denser and more uniformly mounding than plants of ‘USTUN91601’.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of ‘Kakegawa S36’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,037. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of ‘Kakegawa S36’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are more mounding than and not as         trailing as plants of ‘Kakegawa S36’.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia flower earlier than plants of         ‘Kakegawa S36’.     -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and ‘Kakegawa S36’ differ in flower         color as plants of the new Petunia have dark red purple and         white bi-colored flowers whereas plants of ‘Kakegawa S36’ have         solid magenta-colored flowers.     -   4. Plants of the new Petunia have improved pathogen tolerance         than plants of ‘Kakegawa S36’.

Plants of the new Petunia can also be compared to plants of ‘KL 1117’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,485. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of ‘KL 1117’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are more mounding than and not as         trailing as plants of ‘KL 1117’.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia flower earlier than plants of ‘KL         1117’.     -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and ‘KL 1117’ differ in flower         color as plants of the new Petunia have dark red purple and         white bi-colored flowers whereas plants of ‘KL 1117’ have         white-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Petunia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia plant.

At the top of the photographic sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘BBTUN91601M2’ grown in a container and at the bottom of the photographic sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘BBTUN91601M2’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring in 15.25-cm containers in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada and under cultural practices typical of commercial Petunia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 27° C. and night temperatures averaged 15° C. Plants were pinched three weeks after planting and were ten weeks from planting rooted cuttings when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia X hybrida ‘BBTUN91601M2’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of Petunia X hybrida     ‘USTUN91601’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 29,663. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About three to four days at             ambient temperatures ranging from 17° C. to 29° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About five to seven days at             ambient temperatures ranging from 17° C. to 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, summer.—About three weeks at             ambient temperatures ranging from 17° C. to 29° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, winter.—About four weeks at             ambient temperatures ranging from 17° C. to 21° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on             substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and             formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of             roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright to outwardly spreading and             mounding to eventually trailing plant habit; freely             branching habit with about six primary lateral branches each             with about eight secondary branches developing per plant,             dense and bushy plant form; pinching enhances development of             lateral branches; vigorous growth habit and rapid growth             rate.         -   Plant height.—About 20.6 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 61.4 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 17.7 cm. Diameter: About             2 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm. Strength: Moderately             strong; flexible, not brittle. Aspect: Initially upright             then outwardly spreading to almost horizontal and eventually             trailing. Texture and luster: Moderately pubescent; matte.             Color, developing: Close to 144A. Color, developed: Close to             146B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate before flowering; opposite after             flowers develop; leaves simple.         -   Length.—About 4.2 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.4 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate to elliptic.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Obtuse.         -   Margin.—Entire, not undulate.         -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Sparsely             pubescent; matte.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.             Developing, lower surface: Close to 138B. Fully developed             leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation, close to             N144C. Fully developed leaves, lower surface: More green             than 147B; venation, close to 143C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong, flexible. Texture and luster,             upper and lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent; matte. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single terminal and             axillary salverform flowers; flowers face mostly upward to             outwardly; freely flowering habit with about 150 flower buds             and open flowers per plant at one time.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long day responsive; long             flowering period, plants flower from early spring until             frost in the autumn, flowering continuous during this             period; early flowering habit, plants begin flowering about             six weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About five to seven days;             flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Faint; sweet, pleasant.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Shape: Oblong, elongate. Texture and luster: Densely             pubescent; matte. Color, sepals: Close to 138A. Color,             petals: Close to 83B; towards the apex, close to N77B.         -   Flower diameter.—About 4.5 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 3.3 cm.         -   Throat diameter, distal.—About 8 mm.         -   Tube length.—About 2.2 cm.         -   Tube diameter, distally.—About 8 mm.         -   Tube diameter, proximally.—About 2 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five petals fused in a             single salverform whorl. Petal lobe length (from throat):             About 2 cm. Petal lobe width: About 2.4 cm. Petal lobe             shape: Spatulate. Petal lobe apex: Cuspidate. Petal lobe             margin: Entire; moderately undulate. Petal lobe texture and             luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; velvety; matte.             Petal lobe texture and luster, lower surface: Densely             pubescent; matte. Throat texture and luster: Smooth,             glabrous; matte. Tube texture and luster: Moderately             pubescent; matte. Color: When opening, upper surface: Darker             than N74A. When opening, lower surface: Close to 77B. Fully             opened, upper surface: More purple than N74A; towards the             margins, close to NN155C; venation, darker than N74A; color             does not change with development. Fully opened, lower             surface: Close to N78C; towards the margins, close to             NN155C; venation, close to N78B and N186C; with development,             colors becoming closer to more purple than N74B and NN155C.             Flower throat (inside): Close to 76B; venation, close to             N92A and 76B. Flower tube (outside): Close to N78C;             venation, close to 146C.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five sepals fused in a             single star-shaped whorl. Length: About 1.1 cm. Width: About             3 mm. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Bluntly acute. Margin:             Entire. Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces:             Moderately pubescent; matte. Color: When opening and fully             developed, upper surface: Close to 137A. When opening and             fully developed, lower surface: Close to 138A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Width: About 1 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong; wiry and flexible, not brittle.             Angle: About 45° to 90° from stem axis. Texture and luster:             Densely pubescent; matte. Color: Close to 144A; distally,             close to N77C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Five.             Filament length: About 2.1 cm. Filament color: Close to             145D. Anther length: About 1.4 mm. Anther shape: Bi-lobed.             Anther color: Close to 97C. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen             color: Close to 98D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.             Pistil length: About 1.8 cm. Style length: About 1.7 cm.             Style color: Close to N155D. Stigma diameter: About 1.7 mm.             Stigma shape: Round. Stigma color: Close to 144B. Ovary             color: Close to 144A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development has             not been observed on plants of the new Petunia. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Petunia have     not been noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to     Petunia plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to     have excellent garden performance and have been observed to tolerate     rain, wind and temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to about 40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘BBTUN91601M2’ as illustrated and described. 